Little One 2

New chapter! yay! Review? Please? PLEEEAASE!?!? I actually rewrote this chapter about three- four times, depending how you're counting. I had it ending a couple of different ways, but this seemed to fit best with my future plans for this story, so I would love some feedback on this one.


The Empress, meanwhile wearily rose from her desk in her parlor and decided a quick trip to the kitchens might be in order. Rene had informed her several hours ago that Kaia had consented to come to her tonight, and Kateri could hide the anticipation she felt.

~

Kateri entered her room to find Kaia kneeling by the foot of the bed, her face tilted down, little hands neatly folded, back a bit too straight. In the still of the room Kateri heard Kaia swallow hard, confirming her suspicion the young girl was nervous. They all seemed to start off like this, she briefly reminisced, Jess had been the same way, as had Marcia years ago.

Kaia heard rather than saw her owner enter. She took a steadying breath and swallowed, hoping her nerves would hold up on her. She slid her hands down from her lap to the floor, following their path with the rest of her body as she dipped lower in a bow.

Kateri hid her surprise at the submissive gesture. Whatever else had happened to her, Kaia had apparently been taught how she was supposed to respond in situations like this. There was no need for it as far as Kateri was concerned, but she did smirk at her slave’s bowed head.

“No need to do that, pet, stand up,” she whispered softly into the room. Kaia scrambled up to her feet, more anxious now because of the correction. She refolded her hands in front of her, wringing them slightly.

Kateri noticed the nervous gesture, and took it as a sign to approach slowly. She removed her cloak and set it gently across the back of the chair at her vanity before taking three slow steps towards her new slave. Jess had been scared, consciously afraid of what was to come the night she first came to the Empress’ chambers. Now as she looked at Kaia she saw something markedly different. Kaia wasn’t afraid, or if she was she hid it well, but she did seem almost… anxious. Whether it was fearful uncertainty or hopeful anticipation she could not yet determine.

“Kaia, pet, look at me,” as the words left her mouth Kateri wondered what she would see there.

Dark brown eyes lifted from the floor to seek out her blue ones. Kateri’s breath caught at their beauty, framed by a thick fringe of black lashes. They looked uncertain, waiting for some instruction or indication of what to do.

Kateri moved forward and answered that question.

Kaia felt her heart race as the Empress stepped forward and brushed the back of her knuckles lightly against her cheek. The sudden contact ran through Kaia like a bolt of lightning, prickling own her neck and through her body. But that hand did not stop. It trailed along her jaw to tangle in her soft hair. The Empress was mere inches away now, having closed the distance between them after she saw that Kaia did not flinch away from her touch.

Kateri used her hand on the back of Kaia’s head to tilt the girl’s face upward and into the light kiss Kateri placed on the corner of her mouth.

Kaia froze, her muscles tensing and locking into place. Her eyes had gone wide when she felt the caress of
Kateri’s lips on the side of her own. Her hands twisted against her skirt, and after a second she managed to gasp in a lungful of air, not realizing she had stopped breathing at the kiss. Something low in her body tightened as well, but it caused a different feeling in her. It begged for more, for her to press her mouth back against the older woman’s mouth.

When Kateri’s other hand came to rest on her hip, that voice screamed in joy while another rallied itself in her head and demanded this be stopped.

She had never been touched so tenderly in her life, but she seen her mother and father in such sweet embraces.

But what her mother and father shared was not what she had with this woman. She was not in love, not remotely.

She was supposed to resent the woman who had bought her, who had helped those slaving bastards assign a price to her and take away her freedom. This shouldn’t be happening. She took a stumbled step backwards.

Kateri let her hands fall away from her slave as said girl backed away with a look of shock on her face. Kateri knew she was a virgin, and there were sure to be difficulties getting this started. She imagined the shocked look on Kaia’s face came from the realization that she had been kissed and hadn’t known how to respond. With restraint, she let her left hand leave her side and catch Kaia’s as it still twisted in her lap.

Kaia nearly jumped; she had been staring intently at the floor and trying to figure out just what she should do. Eyes wide she turned back to Kateri who was tugging her gently forward. She allowed herself to be brought closer to the woman, this time noticing the change in temperature as she stepped into the close circle of body heat radiating from Kateri.

Again Kateri leaned down and moved to press another kiss to her slave’s soft lips. Kaia panicked inside her own mind, unsure of whether to give in to the first voice and fall into Kateri’s arms, or the second, which said she ought to run from the room and not look back. At the last second, she turned her head to the side, and felt Kateri stop barely above her cheek. As it was, the Empress took the opportunity to softly nuzzle against her cheek. A second later Kaia felt her hand ghost up her arm and slide under her chin, turning her to face the woman who was still so close Kaia could feel Kateri’s warm breath against her skin.

“Something wrong, pet? What’s the matter?”

The question surprised Kaia, and in that moment she muttered the only response she could.

“I…I can’t… I….”

Kateri stopped her words with a sudden kiss, understanding her slave’s reluctance and hoping the kiss would
reassure her.

“It’s alright, pet, I know.”

Kaia drew away, the knot that had formed in her stomach slowly easing away. Kateri let her go.

“So, um, what now?”

“Go back down to your room, if anyone questions you, ignore them. If Rene asks, tell him I’ll talk to him
tomorrow.”

Kaia nodded a little too fast, eyes glued to the floor, and made to turn for the door.

“But before you go,” Kateri’s voice froze her in place.

The impact of her back against the wall left her slightly breathless just before Kateri’s lips crashed down on her own for the last time that night.

The kiss was deep and thorough. When she gasped for air, her mouth was invaded. Hands grasped her waist and pulled her against Kateri’s body. It was so different from the soft kisses earlier it surprised her; ripples of something Kaia suspected may have been desire coursed through her, and just as she leaned forward to press back into the kiss Kateri’s lips left hers and she backed away quickly, leaving Kaia suddenly bereft of warmth, craving contact.

Kateri pulled the chair in front of her vanity out and sat. Picking up a brush, she began working through her hair and ignored the girl still standing shocked against the wall on the other side of the bed. Finally Kaia turned to look at her owner, not fully understanding what was going on.

“Well? Unless you’ve changed your mind?”

Startled, Kaia pushed off the wall and raced through the door.

Glancing up into the mirrors reflection, Kateri heaved a sigh. She had felt Kaia begin to return her kiss, and she wanted to leave the girl wanting. But it had been hard. She hadn’t wanted to pull away. She was going to have to be careful in this seduction, that she didn’t lose control too easily.


~

Kaia slammed the door to her room behind her. Still panting from the run back to her room, she tried to figure out just what she was feeling.

She wasn’t supposed to feel anything for the older woman, let alone this… this…

Rap!

A high yelp answered the knock on her door, and after a moment she realized the sound had come from her.

She spun and opened the door to find a curious Rene peering back at her. Whereas Kateri intimidated her a bit,
Rene had been nothing if not kind to her and she couldn’t help but feel some warmth for the man. He had helped her since she first arrived and even now stood with an understanding smile that made her feel safe.

“What happened?” he asked quietly, interpreting her near frightened look and responding as coolly and calmly as he could. He needed her to feel secure here, to open up to him. Guessing at what had happened, he needed to know what she was feeling about this.

“I… couldn’t,” it came as a rushed breath, forced out by her panicking lungs. “She touched me… and I just felt… and there was this kiss… and then she sent me back here… and, and, I dunno.”

It sounded idiotic, but she couldn’t find words to express herself.

“I’m sorry, she didn’t mean to scare you,” Rene whispered softly, drawing the rattled girl into his arms.
Kaia felt a warm blush spread across her cheeks as he brought her to his lithe body. “I wasn’t scared just… I dunno, I couldn’t.”

“It’s alright,” he whispered insistently. Kaia buried her head into his chest, reveling in the feel of him so close and comforting her. Softly she inhaled his scent; she savored it and tried to memorize everything about this one special moment.

*Gasp! possible drama!*
KaS